Universal joint



July 15, 1930. C, IW, WEBS 1,710,502

UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed April 16I 1929 `lllllllllllll [Nl/ENTOR @We MWh/L11 l atented July 15, 1930 v PATENT OFFICE cam. w. wares, onnnooxLYN, NEW Yom:

l UNIvEasAL JeIN'r Application led April l16,

This invention relates tol universal' joints ofthe character of that shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,522,351, dated January 6', 1925, in which the two members capable of relative angular displacement have co-acting portions with proximate faces formed with non-concentric grooves with their longitudinal axes intersecting at an angle and a relatively movable body received 10 partly in each of such grooves and through -which force is transmitted from one co-acting portion to-the other, such relatively7 movable body lying always in a plane which bisects the angle of displacement ofthe two members, whereby thereis no relativeiiuctuation of angular velocity of the driven member as compared with the driving member. In the construction shown in said patent each intersecting groove is semicircular in cross section to receive an intermediate or relatively movable body whichis spherical. In the continued development of such universal joints it has been found that the machining of the grooves circular in cross vsection has been ditcult -and has added a substantal item to the cost of production. Such grooves must be cut with a spherical or ball-end cutter and as the diameter of such cutter must be slightly larger than the diameter of the spherical intermediate bod and as such cutters wear down nite rapi ly, the cutter must be renewed equently so that the proper diameter of the groove may be maintained in mass production. Moreover, because such spherical body bears in its groove at a point, at least theoretically, it has been necessarytomake all parts heavier than wouldl be necessary if the intermediate, movable body had a line bearing rather than a' point bearing. It has 40l been .the object of this invention, therefore,

to overcome the diiculties referred to and to that end the bottom or working face of each groove is made flat having substantial width,

rather than curve and the intermediate or relatively movable body is -formed as a roller,

having .a line contact with the bottom or working face of the groove, the side walls of the groove and the ends of the Vroller bein formed so that the roller is properly guide and lies always with its axis in a plane which 1929. Serial No. 355,531.

bisects the angle of displacement lof the` two members of the joint. The invent-ion will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompany- .ing drawing in which it is illustrated and in. 66

which:

Figure 1 isafview in longitudinal section through a universal joint which embodies the invention, the intermediate, relatively Inovable bodies, the central, s herical supporting member, and the shafts icing shown in Velevation, the shafts being broken'out to save space.

Figure 2 is a viewl in transverse sectional elevation of the jointshown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation of the driving member shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a view in longitudinal sectional elevation of the driving member shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail View in elevation of one of the intermediate or relatively movable rollers.

Figure 6 is a view illustratinr the relation of a circular milling cutter to the groove cut 'by it, the shape of the groove being illustrated in projection at the right hand.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing a drivin member a of the joint is formed with three nger-like portions or projections a1 with radial faces and r designed to co-act with corresponding fingerlike portions or projections of a driven member b. The members a and b are shown as formed vintegral with the shaft portions a2 85 and b2, respectively, and two members are shown as central upon a spherical bearing d. In the approximate face of each fingerlike portion or projection al, b1 of the two members a, b, there is formed a groove c, the i bottom or working face c1 of which is fiat or substantially Hat and of substantial width,

in a plane radial to the axis of the joint member a or b, as the case ma be. Such a groove may be cut by a cylindrlcal cutter c, such as that illustratedjn Figure 6, and in the operation of cutting with such a 'cutter the side walls c2 and c8 are formed as shown in the 'drawing The two grooves of the two approximate faces of. co-acting nortions of the v joint members are formed as described in said patent, so that their longitudinal axes, whether straight or curved, are non-concentric or are oppositely disposed with respect to each other so that they intersect, in all positions of angular displacement of the joint, in a plane which bisects the angle of displacement of the two members.

As in the construction shown in said patent, soin the resent construction, force is not transmitted rom one member of the joint to the other through contact of the proximate faces of the co-actin portions of the two members, but througli an intermediate and relatively movable body which in the presentv case is formed as a roller f having a cylindrical working surface fl which has a line contact with the bottom or working surface c of each of the two grooves c in which it is received. In order that this intermediate and relatively movable member may be guided in its movements and may lie with its axis always in a plane which bisects the angle of displacement of the two members of the joint and is radial to the center of the joint, its ends, as at f3 and f, are formed to fit, with pro r tolerance, the corresponding side wal s c and c' of the groove. It will be un-` derstood that in the milling with a cylindrical cutter of a curved groove such as that shown, with a fiat working face parallel with the axis of the joint member, the two side walls of the groove have different forms, the outer wall being cut by the peripheral cutter teeth k1 of the cutter and the inner wall by 4the curved teeth k* at the end of the cutter. The teeth k must be formed on the radius of curvature of the groove in order that the roller, properly formed, shall bear properly in all positions a ainst the inner wall on the same radius, wit out undue wear in operation. It is of great importance to successful operation that the roller shall, with proper tolerance, fit in the rooves in all positions without angular disp acement of its axis, and for that reason the outer end of the roller must be slightly convex as shown to fit against the concaved outer wall of each groove and the inner end must be concaved on the radius of curvature, of the roove so that it may fit against the inner wall of the groove.

The two members of the joint may be retained in operative relation by partly spherical shells g and gl anda retaining link h, as shown in said patent.

The action of the universal joint as thus described is the same as that of the joint described in said patent and need not be further explained herein.

I claim as my invention:

1. A universal joint having two members capable of relative angular displacement and having co-acting portions with their proximate faces formed with non-concentric grooves with their longitudinal axes intersecting at an angle and a relatively movable body received artly in each of such grooves and through w ich force is transmitted from one co-acting portion to the other, each groove having a flat working face and each relatively movable bod having a cylindrical working surface wit line contact with the working face of the groove.

2. A universal joint having two members capable of relative angular dis lacement and having co-acting portions wit their proxi`- mate faces formed with non-concentric grooves with their longitudinal axes intersecting at an angle and a relatively movable body received partly in each of such grooves and through which force is transmitted from one co-acting portion to the other, each groove having a flat Working face and each relatively movable body having a cylindrical working surface with line contact with the working face of the groove and having its ends formed to conform to the side walls ofv the groove.

3. A universal joint having two members capable of relative angular displacement and having co-acting portions with their proximate faces formed with non-concentric grooves with their longitudinal axes intersecting at an angle and a relatively movable body received artly in each of such grooves and through w ich force is transmitted from one co-acting portion to the other, each groove being curved and having a flat working face with an outer wall concaved and an inner wall convexed on the radius of curvature of the groove and each relatively movable body having a cylindrical working surface and having its outer end convexed to fit the outer wall of the groove and its inner end concaved to fit the inner wall of the roove.

This specification signe this 9th day of April, A. D. 1929. CARL W. WEISS. 

